Truck structure



Nov. 29, 1927.

J. G. RITTER TRUCK STRUCTURE.

Filed Aug. 15, 1925 INVENTOR John 61 fi/fier BY WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 29, 1927.

JOHN G. BITTER, 0.1 VIILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNOR TO W'ESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC 8a MANUFACTURING COMPANY, CORPORATIONOF PENNSYLVANIA.

TRUCK STRUCTURE.

Application filed August 13, 1925. Serial No. 49,898.

' My invention relates to railway vehicles, more particularly tosteering truclrs for railway vehicles for providing a positive leadingor steering characteristic and a negative or idle trailingcharacteristic, to effect the proper steering of the vehicle relative tothe curvature of the tracks at all'times.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a steering truck forrailway vehicles which shall be of simple, eompact, and durablemechanical construction, which shall comprise a minimum number of simpleand accessible cooperating parts and which shall be efficient in itsoperation to provide a leading or trailingaction of the vehicle withrespect to the rails.

Another object of my invention is to provide a steering truck embodyingsteering means which shall be positive, reliable and automatic in itsfunction of converting the.

truck to either a steering or a trailing unit. Various forms of leadingandtrailing trucks have been devised which utilize a mechanical linkagefor effecting a steering or idle characteristic of the truck member inaccordance with its position asa leading or a trailing truck as the casemay be. The usual construction embodies a plurality of. compression orsuspension membersof cam shape and which able actuating mechanism toeffect relative dispositions of said members for the various positionsthe vehicle may assume with respect to the rails upon which it operates.

My present invention contemplates the use of cam" rockers that areassociated with the truck frame and the. swing bolster upon which thevehicle is supported, in such manner that they may be raised off thetruck frame for providing a trailing truck and seated on the framewhen-it. functions as a leading truck. The means for raising andlowering the cams embodies pressure-actuated piston members, which areoperated through a fluid-pressure system that may be controlled in anysuitable manner, either by 1 mgs 17that are adapted to receive lugs 18.

the operator or automatically by control means associated with the drivemechanism of the vehicle.

In the accompanying ing a part hereof, and in which like referencecharacters designate like parts,

Fig. 1. is a view in cross-section of a truck frame bolster embodyingcam rocker are associated with suitdrawing, constitut construction inaccordance with the principles of my invention, the cam rockers beingshown in the position they assume when the truck has a leadingcharacteristic,

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the cam rockers in the positioncorresponding to an idle or trailing truck, and i Fig. 3 is a Viewsimilar to Figs. 1' and 2, illustrating a somewhatmodified form of camrocker that has the same functional characteristic as the cam rockersshown in- Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring toFigs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the structure thereinillustrated comprises a truck frame 1 that is journalled in a pluralityof wheeled axles 2 and has aswing bolster 3 mounted in cooperativerelation therewith. The bolster 3 is'provided with a center pinconstruction 4 for connecting the bolster to the vehicle that itsupports.

A plurality of cam rockers 5 are disposed between the truck frame 1 andthe bolster 3. A plurality of straight'links or rods 6 are respectivelypivoted tothe upper portions of the cam rockers 5 and are pivoted together midway between said cam rockers. The upper convex surfaces 7. ofthe cam rockers 5 are shaped to be in part, complementary with respectto the concave faces 5 of the bolster 3 with which they cooperate. Thelower portions of the cam rockers 5 are provided with convex projections9 and 10 that are adapted to respectively engage the cooperating concaveseats 11 and 12 of the truck frame and of a pair of piston members 13. T

The pistons are disposed in cylindrical openings 14 that are provided intruck frame 1, which openings communicate with pipes or passages 15thatare connected to apipe line 16 constituting a portion of afluid-pressure system. Any suitablemanually or automatieally controlledmeans may be employed to govern the application of the fluid pressure.

The modification shown in Fig. 3 comarises a cam rocker having slottedopenas follows. As shown in Fig. 1, the arrangement of the bolster 8,the truck 1 and the cam rockers 5 is such as to constitute the truck aleading member to steer the vehicle when the latter enters curve trom atan-- gent track or vice versa, and to maintain the cam rockers in thisposition, no pressure is employed in the system communicating with thepistons 18.

In Fig. 2, the cam rockers 5 are shown in a raised position with theprojections 9 disengaged from their seats 11 in the truck frame 1, theonly engagement being with the central lower projections 10, which restupon the seats 12 that are proyided' in the ends of the pistons 13, Thisraised position or the cam rockers is brought about by suit ablepressure in the pipe line 16 and is main gained during the function ofthe truck as a trailing member.

The leading and trailing orsteering and idle characteristics of thetruck are produced by the nature of the. engagement or the cam rockers 5with the truck frame and holster,

as it is obvious that the seatingot the cam rockers, as shown in Fig. 1,has a decided restraining influence on the movement of the truck memberrelative to the bolster, which results in a steering action; whereas theposition ofthe cam rockers as shown in Fig. 2, permits freedom ofmovement between the truck and bolster, which results in an idle ort'railing action of the truck.

The cam rockers shown in the modification of Fig. 3 function similarlyto those shown in F 1 and '2, with the exception that the projections 18of the bolster maintain the proper position of the cam rockers 5a withrespect to the bolster in the same manner as the links or rods 6 in thestructure shown in Figs. 1 and 2. g

It is evident from the foregoing description of my invention that asteering truck made in accordance therewith provides a simple'a'nd'eliicient means for steering arail- Way vehicle along the tracks andthat such device is of simple mechanical construction and lends itselfto a rugged design to pro vide adequate strength of the operating parts.Such steering truck may he applied as standard equipment to eithers-itearn or electric railway loco motives 'or cars, without requiringany modifications or iterations of the frame portions or bodyconstruction of such vehicles.

Although I have described a SPEClfiOGiII- b'ediinent of my invention, itwill be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modificationsmay be made in the details of construction and in the relation andproportion of the several cooperating parts without departing from theprinciples herein set forth. x

I claim as my invention:

.1. In a railway vehicle truck, the combine,

tion with a truck frame, of a bolster therefor, cam rockers disposedbetween said frame and bolster, and means for efiectingengagement or.disengagement ot the cam rockers with respect to the frame to ettect aleading or trailing characteristic o1"- the'truclr.

2. In a railway vehicle truck, the combination with a truck frame, of abolster there for, a compression member disposed between said name andbolster, and fluid pressure means for eifecting engagement ordisengagement of the member with respect to the frame to effect aleading or trailing characte'ristic of the truck; I

3. In a railway vehicle truck, the com bination' with a truck frame, ofa bolster therefor, a compression member disposed be tween said frameand bolster, means for seating said member on the truck frame, andmeans'for raising said member oft said frame to etle'ct a leading andtrailing characteristic of the truck for the respective positions ofsaid member.

I. In a railway vehicle trdcl'r, the combination with a truck fraine, ofa bel'ster therefor, compression members disposed between said frame andbolste'r, means for seating said members on the truck name, andfluid-pressure means for raising said members oli said frame to effect aleading and trailing characteristic oi the truck for the respectivepositions of saidhiembers.

5. In a railway vehicle truck, the simbination with a truck name, oi aswing bolster associated therewith, a plurality ot' cam rockers disposedbetween said frame and said bolster, means for coordiinatiiig theswinging movements of said rockers, and means for engaging anddisengaging said cam rockers and said frame.

6. In a railway vehicle truck, the/com bination with; a truck-t'r'an'ie, of swing bolster associated therewith, a plurality of camrockers disposed between said fra and said bolster, means forcoordinating the swinging movements of said camrockers, andfluid-pressure means for engaging and disengaging said cam roc'l'rersand said; frame. v p p I 7. A steering truck for railway vehiclescomprising a truck body, a swing bolster associated therewith, aplurality. of cam rockers disposed between said b'i'ijdy and said I camrockers, and means for lifting sai d camrockers oil the truclrbody. I

8.A steering truck for railway vehicles comprising a truck body, a swingbolster associated therewith, a plurality of cam rockers disposedbetween said body and said lit) the

comprising a truck body, a swing bolster operative to lift said camrockers when the associated therewith, a plurality of cam truck is in atrailing position.

rockers disposed between said body and said In testimony whereof, I havehereunto 10 bolster, a pair of links connecting said cam subscribed myname this 5th day of August rockers, and means for lifting said cam1925.

rockers ofi the truck body, said means comprising pressure-aotuatedpiston members JOHN G. RITTER.

